Finance
South Korea’s finance minister says country is at a ‘turning point’ in relations with Japan
South Korea Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Financial institution Governors Assembly in Nusa Dua, on Indonesia resort island of Bali, on July 16, 2022. (Picture by MADE NAGI / POOL / AFP) (Picture by MADE NAGI/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Made Nagi | Afp | Getty Photos
South Korea’s finance minister says the nation sees is at a “turning level” in financial relations with Japan.
Chatting with CNBC’s Chery Kang on the Asian Growth Financial institution’s annual assembly in Incheon, South Korea’s finance minister and deputy prime minister Choo Kyung-ho praised Tokyo’s latest choice to revive South Korea to an inventory of most popular commerce companions.
“My understanding is that Japan is processing this in accordance with its legislative and administrative procedures,” Choo mentioned, in accordance with a CNBC translation. including that South Korean officers hope the method will likely be accomplished “as quickly as attainable.”
“We imagine that pointless laws between the 2 international locations will likely be solely eliminated, and we imagine that we’re now at a turning level for additional cooperation between the 2 economies,” mentioned Choo.
The thaw in Japan and Korea’s bilateral relations comes after South Korea introduced its corporations would compensate individuals who have been compelled to work throughout Japan’s 1910-1945 occupation of Korea – a bid by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to enhance the strained ties between the 2 nations.
Earlier this week, the 2 international locations additionally held their first bilateral finance ministerial assembly in seven years, agreeing to renew common talks “at an applicable timing,” in accordance with reviews of Choo’s Japanese counterpart Shunichi Suzuki’s remarks after his assembly.
Choo mentioned the latest talks with Suzuki will result in additional financial cooperation between the 2 U.S. allies.
“The latest bilateral summit has opened issues up for enchancment. So we will now anticipate cooperation between the 2 international locations, in growth of commercial and expertise cooperation, in addition to humanitarian change packages for teens,” he mentioned. “We imagine it will profit each international locations mutually, economy-wise, and contribute to the regional development as nicely,” he mentioned.
Choo added that the bilateral relationship will likely be “mutually useful” for high-tech industries, together with semiconductors.
“Particularly in sectors that we see each international locations being positioned in a ‘win-win’ scenario, corresponding to strengthening high-tech industrial sectors – we imagine this is the reason Japan and Korea are each actively collaborating in pushing for additional cooperation by way of ministerial talks and dialogue between authorities businesses, which we plan to strengthen additional,” he mentioned.
Finance
G7 finance ministers back plan to use Russian assets for Ukraine funding – the FT
Stock photo: Getty Images
The G7 finance ministers supported the idea of providing Ukraine with a loan secured by profits from frozen Russian assets to ensure funding for Kyiv after 2024.
Source: Financial Times, citing the draft communiqué of the ministers’ meeting, as reported by European Pravda
The ministers’ discussions were based on a US proposal, which was circulated before the meeting in the Italian city of Stresa, to issue Ukraine a loan of about US$50 billion, to be repaid from the profits of the Russian central bank’s assets amounting to around €190 billion.
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The ministers stated that they were “making progress” in working out options to “bring forward” the profits, according to the draft communiqué. They added that options for structuring the loan would be presented to the G7 leaders before the June summit.
They also promised to continue pressuring China to reduce industrial subsidies that they believe are driving Western competitors out of business, and stated that implementing the most significant global tax agreement in more than a century is a “top priority”.
The G7, a group of advanced economies that includes all major Western allies of Ukraine, aims to ensure funding for Kyiv in the long term, even after this year when crucial elections will take place on both sides of the Atlantic.
According to people familiar with the negotiations, many details of the loan are yet to be agreed upon, including the amount, who will issue it, and how it will be guaranteed in case of Ukraine’s default or if the profits do not materialise.
One official mentioned that Europeans are particularly concerned about “fair-risk sharing”, fearing that Europe will bear the brunt of the financial and legal risks and potential retaliatory actions from Russia, as most of the assets are located on the continent.
This week, the EU officially approved a plan to use interest from frozen Russian assets, which, according to estimates, could bring up to three billion euros per year to Ukraine.
Background:
- In February, the United States argued that G7 countries should fully seize frozen assets, but later abandoned this idea due to concerns from allies that it could set a dangerous legal precedent and prompt retaliatory measures from Russia.
- Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine insists on the confiscation and transfer to Ukraine of all frozen assets of the Russian Federation held in the West.
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Finance
Big Players Maneuver In Global Finance And Industry
What’s going on here?
From hostile takeovers to strategic acquisitions, major financial and industrial players are making bold moves to bolster their market positions. Spanish bank BBVA, Swiss private bank Julius Baer, and British IT services group Redcentric are all in high-stakes negotiations for potential mergers.
What does this mean?
BBVA’s €12.23 billion hostile takeover bid for Sabadell marks a major potential consolidation in the Spanish banking sector, despite opposition from Madrid. Julius Baer’s talks with EFG International highlighted competition in Swiss private banking, though discussions have ceased. In IT services, Redcentric’s negotiations with Milan-listed Wiit SpA could lead to a substantial acquisition. Additionally, private equity firm Carlyle is preparing to sell aerospace manufacturer Forgital, signaling increased activity in the aerospace sector. Also, Deutsche Bahn is advancing in the bidding process for its logistics subsidiary Schenker, with four contenders still vying for it.
Why should I care?
For markets: Strategic consolidations and divestments.
These moves reflect broader trends of consolidation and strategic realignment across industries. BBVA’s bold bid for Sabadell and Criteria’s acquisition of a 9.4% stake in ACS for €983 million signify aggressive strategies to capitalize on market opportunities. Carlyle’s plan to sell Forgital and Saudi Aramco’s in Repsol’s renewable energy division highlight the growing focus on portfolio diversification and sustainability.
The bigger picture: Global shifts in financial and industrial landscapes.
These developments indicate profound changes in the global financial and industrial sectors. KKR’s likely approval to acquire Telecom Italia’s fixed-line network without EU antitrust conditions signals a favorable regulatory climate for strategic deals. On the flip side, the Italian government’s decree for state broadcaster RAI to possibly merge its tower unit, RaiWay, with EI Towers shows the fluidity of managing national strategic assets. Meanwhile, Coventry Building Society’s £780 million purchase of Co-operative Bank underscores ongoing consolidation in the British banking sector.
Finance
Commodity price volatility presents ‘substantial’ challenges: Finance Ministry
Bengaluru: The Union Finance Ministry said on Friday that the ongoing geo-political upheavals and the resultant volatility in prices of commodities globally, continues to be a cause of concern on the economic front, but added that there are enough macro-economic buffers to navigate these challenges.
“The unrelenting geopolitical tensions and volatility in global commodity prices, especially of petroleum products, present substantial multi-frontal challenges,” the ministry said in its latest Monthly Economic Review (MER), for the month of April 2024.
Nonetheless, the expectation is that the macro-economic buffers nurtured and strengthened during the post-Covid management of the economy will help the India navigate these challenges reasonably smoothly, the MER stated.
India’s retail inflation for April declined to a 10-month low of 4.83%, the second consecutive month below the 5% level. This was primarily due to easing of core inflation, even as food prices remained elevated.
There has been a continued decline in retail inflation since December 2023. It has been within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) tolerance range of 2-6 per cent for the seventh month in a row. However, it has been above the central bank’s medium-term target of 4 per cent for 54 consecutive months.
Primarily due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle-East, prices of the benchmark Brent crude have risen more than 6 per cent year-to date.
On Wednesday, the MER stated that as per all available high-frequency data, the strong performance of the Indian economy in 2023-24 has carried onto the current April-June quarter (Q1 of 2024-25).
“The Indian economy closed FY24 strongly with its growth surpassing market expectations, despite strong external headwinds. Early indications suggest a continuation of the economic momentum during the first quarter of FY25,” it stated.
It said that industrial activity is gaining momentum and fixed investment is gathering pace on the back of the focus the government’s capital spending. “The forward-looking surveys of the Reserve Bank also indicate improving consumer confidence and industrial outlook,” the report said.
Published 24 May 2024, 22:45 IST
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